


Breathe

by IngridAnne24



Category: Jane the Virgin (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-11
Updated: 2016-09-11
Packaged: 2018-08-14 13:00:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8015014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IngridAnne24/pseuds/IngridAnne24
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jane takes Petra to lamaze class. It's awkward.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Breathe

**Author's Note:**

> This is more hinted at Jetra.
> 
> I just mostly wanted to make Petra slightly uncomfortable, with Jane trying to comfort her.

Jane was a good person, she believed. And she heard it a lot, from her family, friends, peers. She liked to be thought of being a good person, because why wouldn't you want to be considered a good person?

Sometimes, though, it got to be annoying because people asked her to do things, and being the good person she was, she did them. Even if she didn't really want to do them.

She should've expected it, when Petra Solano—also known as the ex-wife of Jane's former sort of boyfriend slash the father of Jane's baby, now pregnant with her ex-husband's babies, conceived by self-insemination—came over to her house, asking her to join her at a lamaze class.

No, she didn't ask Jane. It was more like: “Rafael is out of town, and I haven't been in a while, and I don't want to go alone.”

Jane had smiled gently at Petra. “Petra, do you want me to go with you?”

Petra's jaw had clenched and she couldn't look at Jane.

“Petra.”

Petra's large blue eyes had swept back up to look at Jane. “Fine. Will you go with me?”

“Of course.”

And now here they were, going to lamaze class. Why Petra had gone to Jane for this, Jane didn't know. Did Petra not have anyone else? Jane assumed yes, but didn't want to ask Petra that.

Petra was starting to develop a waddle and while Jane was sympathetic as she remembered that happening to her, she also had to fight off a laugh. Petra probably wouldn't take kindly to that.

As they entered the room, Jane noticed the women there were mostly with a man; husbands, boyfriends, whatever else the situation was. There was one other couple there that were two women. When Jane and Petra came in, they beamed at them. Jane knew why they were smiling, but Petra didn't seem to notice.

“Welcome, couples,” the instructors chirped. She was a tiny blonde woman with a toothy grin. “It's nice to have a mix in here.”

She subtly gestured to the other couple, then Jane and Petra. Petra stiffened at that.

“We're, uh, not,” Petra started. Jane could see Petra's ears turn red.

“It's okay,” Jane whispered to her. She smiled at the group. “This is our first time here.”

“Well, we always welcome new faces,” the blonde girl said cheerfully. “Everyone, have a seat. Daddies—or, uh, non-pregnant ones—sit behind your significant other.”

Jane had to help Petra down onto the floor, then she sat behind Petra, her legs on either side of Petra. It was weird, but as Jane remembered lamaze class, she knew it was about to get weirder. 

“Labor and birth is different for everyone,” the girl started. “Some people have a lot of pain, others have hardly anyone. Some are fast, others take days. Vaginal, or c-section. Everybody is different, and everyone has different ways of coping, so we're going to try a couple different things.”

Jane could hear Petra take a long, deep breath.

“First, partners, put your arms around your pregnant-partners. Hold them tight, feel their bodies.”

And Jane did. She could feel every muscle in Petra's body clench.

“I want both of you to find a rhythm in your breathing, synchronize.”

Petra made a noise in her throat, like a scoff, but Jane nudged her gently in the side. Petra took a breath, then Jane waited until she took another one before she also took one, until they were breathing at the same time. It was silly, but also pretty relaxing.

One of the babies kicked Jane's hand and she gasped.

“The babies will kick,” the blonde girl said, “but don't just focus on the baby, focus on your partner.”

They did this for another five minutes. Jane found herself feeling reluctant as she let Petra go.

“Great job, everyone. Now, most of you know the lamaze breathing. Hee hee hoo. It's silly, but it works for a lot of women, so let's try it.”

There was a chorus of women saying, “Hee hee hoo,” as they breathed. Petra, however, was not. Her breathing was more like fast, deep breaths from her chest. Jane prodded her.

“It might work for you, Petra,” Jane said to her. Petra turned her head slightly to look at Jane. “It's dumb, I know, but just try it.”

Petra sighed, but she did it, her voice coming out deep as she did so. Again, they did this for another five minutes. When they stopped, Petra gave Jane a look out of the corner of her eye. She was putting up with this surprisingly well.

“Great. Now, partners, I want you to put your hands on your girls' inner thighs and massage gently. The muscles there will be very tense during labor, like very strong menstrual cramps, so massaging will help.”

Jane apologized quietly before she put her hands there. The muscles in Petra's legs twitched.

“Now I want both of you to imagine your girls' body stretching, opening for the arrival of this little bundle. And there will be stretching,” the girl giggled. Petra made a loud scoffing noise and Jane patted her leg. Or, rather, rubbed it. With every movement of Jane's hands, Petra's legs twitched.

“When you push, remember to breath while doing so. It's a good way to avoid burst blood vessels, including hemorrhoids.”

Jane could see Petra's hands clench and she patted Petra's leg again. Jane knew Petra was this close to leaving, she could feel it.

 

“And when you push, you bear down, hard, like you're having a big bowel movement. Which is why,” the girl smiled much too widely, and Jane sensed where she was going with this, “it's very common for the woman to have one while pushing.”

Petra stood up at that (not immediately, because she had to get enough momentum to propel herself up) and stormed out of the room.

“She's okay,” Jane reassured the group as she went to follow her.

She found Petra just outside the hall, pacing.

“Petra? What is it?”

“I can't do this, I can't do this,” Petra mumbled. “I can't give birth.”

“Sure you can. It's not that bad, really.”

“Oh, everybody says that, but then they also talk about this awful, disgusting stuff.” Petra moved close to Jane and bent her head down to whisper, “I don't want to poop in front of all those strangers.”

“Petra,” Jane sighed. “It's not the end of the world if you do.”

Petra looked scandalized and Jane rolled her eyes.

“Look, Petra, I was nervous about those things too, but honestly, when you're in labor and pushing, you stop caring. Really. I don't know if I did or not and I really don't care. I just wanted that baby out, and I wanted it to be healthy.”

“Well, if I don't care, it's because I'll be in too much pain. I'm getting as much as that epidural as I can,” Petra said.

“Whatever makes you comfortable, Petra. Whatever happens, you'll be fine. Rafael will be there, and he's been through it before. Well, not through it, but he's...” Jane sighed, then patted Petra on the back. “It'll be fine.”

Petra ran her hands over her stomach and closed her eyes. Jane let her take a moment.

“Fine. You're not much of a liar, so I believe you,” Petra said quietly, opening her large blue eyes to stare down at Jane.

Jane led Petra back into the room.

“Welcome back!” The girl chirped. “You're just in time!”

They took their spots on the floor, Jane behind Petra. “Time for what?” Petra asked.

The girl pulled out a bottle of oil. “We're going to discuss alternatives to episiotomies. Now, if you don't know what that is...”

The girl then went on to explain what an episiotomy is. Even from behind, Jane could see the blood drain from Petra's face. She gave Petra a little rub on the middle of her back and whispered, “it'll be fine.”

“But don't worry, you don't have to have this done. Talk to your OBGYN and see if episiotomies are standard for them, and if they are, tell them you would rather not have one. Okay, so, alternatives. There are some exercises you can you can, do prepare your body for the birth. Squatting and kegel exercises are always good. Also,” the girl dipped her index and middle finger into the oil and held it up, “massaging is always good. This is something your partner can help with.”

She winked in Petra and Jane's direction, and the blood that had left Petra's face, suddenly rushed back. Jane could practically see it climb up Petra's neck.

“Just rub the vagina with one hand, and the perineum with the other. The perineum is located between the vagina and the anus,” the girl told them and proceeded to point to herself. “Okay, finally, we're going to watch a video on childbirth. This woman had twins!”

The girl practically skipped over to the television and pressed play. Jane, knowing which video this was, took Petra's hand. It wasn't going to be pretty.

After that was over, as well as the class, and they had left the room, Jane studied Petra closely. Petra was obviously trying to look calm, but Jane could see the circles developing under her eyes.

“That was an extreme example,” Jane said as they got into the car. “And I think it was over-exaggerated for effect, anyway.”

Petra closed her eyes and took several long, deep breaths. “I don't want to think about it until the time comes, I don't want to hear the words vagina, or perineum, or episiotomy, every again.”

Jane nodded. She remembered how she had felt. “Got it.”

Petra turned her head and looked at Jane, her face surprisingly soft. “Thanks for going with me, though.”

Jane smiled. “You're welcome.”

Petra's hand twitched and reached over to Jane, then hovered over her hand. It looked like a claw in a claw machine, sort of grabbing at its target, but not really. Jane split the difference and took Petra's hand.

“I know I've said this before, but you'll be fine.”

Petra nodded and swallowed.

Jane had turned away, but out of the corner of her eye she saw Petra's eyes still on her, but when she turned back, Petra quickly turned her head to look out the window. Jane may have imagined it, but there seemed to be a red tint on Petra's cheeks.


End file.
